The Grey Book Part 14

Nov. 30 Russia attacks Finland.

1940 March 20 Finland accepts peace with Russia.

Apr. 9 Germany occupies Denmark and attacks Norway.

May 10 Germany attacks the Netherlands and Belgium.

May 14 Capitulation of the Netherlands.

May 28 Capitulation of Belgium.

May 20-June 4: Evacuation of the British expedition force at Dunkirk.

June 10 Italy attacks France.

June 24 France concludes armistice with the Axis.

Aug.-Nov. The "Battle of Britain": Hitler tries to subdue Great Britain by air raids.

Oct. 28 Italy attacks Greece.

Dec. 7-11 Victory of Great Britain in North Africa.

1941 April Victory of Germany in North Africa.

April 6 Germany attacks Yugoslavia and Greece.

April 13 Belgrade occupied.

April 27 Athens occupied.

May 10 Rudolf Hess flies to Scotland.

June 22 Germany invades Russia.

Dec. 6 Russian counter offensive; Germany fails to take Moscow.

Dec. 7 j.a.pan attacks Pearl Harbour.

Dec. 11 Hitler declares war upon the United States.

1942 Jan. 20 The Wannsee Conference on the "Final Solution of the Jewish Question" in Europe.

June Rommel defeats Great Britain in North Africa and captures El Alamein.

Aug. 23 Germany's sixth army reaches the Volga near Stalingrad.

Nov. 2 Montgomery breaks through at El Alamein.

Nov. 8 Allied forces land in Morocco and Algeria.

Nov. 11 Germany seizes the unoccupied zone of France.

Nov. 19 Russia launches its counter offensive near Stalingrad.

1943 Jan. 3 End of the Battle of Stalingrad.

April 19-May 16 Warsaw Ghetto uprising.

July 10 Allied forces land on Sicily.

Sept. 3 Allied forces land in Southern Italy.

Dec. The Soviet armies approach the Polish and Rumanian frontiers.

1944 June 6 The beginning of the Invasion.

July 20 Attempt on Hitler's life.

August Russia conquers Rumania.

Aug. 25 Liberation of Paris.

Sept. 3 Liberation of Brussels.

1945 Jan. 17 Russia captures Warsaw.

Feb. 13 Russia captures Budapest.

Apr. 30 Hitler commits suicide.

May 2 Capitulation of Berlin.

May 7 Unconditional surrender of Germany.

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20 GERMANY

Deportations from Austria and the Protectorate (Bohemia-Moravia) began in the winter of 1939/1940. On February 12, 1940, Jews were deported from Stettin. On July 31, 1941, Heydrich was charged by Goering with the preparation and execution of the "Final Solution". On October 14, 1941, the systematic deportation of the Jews from the Reich began.

On January 20, 1942, the Wannsee-Conference on the "Final Solution of the Jewish Question in Europe" was held. From July, 1942, the selections for the gas chambers took place in concentration camps such as Auschwitz.

On June 19, 1943, Goebbels declared Berlin to be free of Jews. An estimated number of 3,000 Jews, however, succeeded in surviving "illegally", until the end of the war.

It is, as has been explained before, not my intention to record the help rendered by individuals to Jews. There are, however, indications that organized help to Jews did not wholly stop with the closure of Rev.

Grueber's office. [253]

Mr. Krakauer relates how he and his wife were helped and hidden during the last years of the war. [254] Not less than 34 ministers of the CONFESSING Church were involved in the rescue of these two people. They all had them in their homes for some days or longer, as staying at the same place for too long a period was too dangerous.

It appears that there existed a kind of organization of pastors who pa.s.sed on persecuted Jewish people from one manse to another. The book also shows how difficult it was in those days, to help and hide people who had no ident.i.ty cards and no ration cards.

Mr. Krakauer stated: "On May 20, 1945, I had the opportunity to speak with Landesbischof D. Wurm, the highest prelate of the country (of Wurttemberg), and to thank him for the fact that by his att.i.tude he had made it possible for his pastors to interest themselves actually on our behalf". [255]

Some Church leaders did not speak out publicly, or, only spoke when it was too late; the reason may just have been that they were afraid to accept the personal risk involved. We know of Bishop Wurm's protests, which came late, even too late to do any good for the Jews in general. <107> I do not know very much about his "att.i.tude" in the time before he took official action. The fact that Mr. Krakauer felt that he should thank the Bishop, throws an important sidelight on the dilemma which Church leaders sometimes had to face. If they spoke out publicly against the persecutions, they did not only risk their own freedom and life, but they also risked the lives of the persecuted Jews whom they secretly tried to save.

Mr. Krakauer's story should certainly be read by anyone who is interested in the att.i.tude of Protestants in Hitler's Germany toward the Jews.

No public statement whatsoever against anti-Semitism was issued by the CONFESSING Church in Germany, or by any of its leaders, from the end of 1938 until 1943. In April, 1943, a letter was sent by a group of Christian laymen to the Lutheran Bishop of Bavaria. The Bishop asked for at least two signatures to enable him to raise the matter officially, but no one was willing to sign. However, the letter had an indirect influence because Bishop Wurm of Wurttemberg read it, and then sent two letters to the German Government.

Letter of a Group of Christian Laymen:

"As Christians we no longer can tolerate that the Church in Germany should keep silent in regard to the persecution of the Jews. in Churches where the true Gospel is preached, all members are equally responsible for supporting such preaching. We are therefore aware that we also, are equally guilty for the Church's failure in this matter.

The inclusion of the so-called 'privileged' Jews in this persecution is the next threat: the dissolving of marriages which are valid according to G.o.d's law, should cause the Church to protest, in faithfulness to the World of G.o.d, against this violation of the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth commandments, thus, at last, doing what it should have done long ago.

What moves us is the simple commandment to love one's neighbour, as expounded by Jesus in the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Here He explicitly precluded any limitation of our love only to members of our own faith, race or nation.

At this time every 'non-Aryan' in Germany, whether Jew or Christian, 'has fallen among murderers'; we are challenged as to whether we will act towards him as did the priest and the Levite, or as the Good Samaritan?

The Duty of the Church <108>

No 'Jewish Question' can release us from this decision. Rather should the Church declare that the Jewish question is primarily an evangelical question and not a political one. The politically unusual, and unique existence and character of the Jews is, according to the Holy Scriptures, based on the fact that G.o.d has chosen this people as the instrument for His revelation.

The Church, just as the first apostles after the crucifixion, must tirelessly testify to the Jews: 'Unto you first, G.o.d, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities' (Acts of the Apostles 3, 26). This testimony of the Church will only seem worthy of belief to Israel, if the Church is also concerned about the Jews who 'have fallen among murderers'.

The Church must especially resist 'Christian' anti-Semitism within its borders, which excuses the actions of the non-Christian world against the Jews, as well as, the inactivity of the Church in this matter, by saying that a 'deserved' curse lies upon Israel. Let us not forget the apostle's exhortation to us Gentile Christians: 'Be not high-minded, but fear: For if G.o.d spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee' (Romans 11, 20, 21).

The Church must testify to the State about the purpose of Israel in the plan of salvation, thus actively resisting every attempt, to 'solve' the Jewish question, according to a man-made political gospel, which brings about the annihilation of the Jews. This is an attempt to fight against G.o.d and his first commandment.

The Church must confess that she, as the true Israel, is united with Jewry by indissoluble ties, both in her guilt and in her right to the promises of G.o.d. She must not try any more to remain in safety while Israel is attacked.

Rather, she must testify that by the attack on Israel, the Church and her Lord Jesus are also being attacked.

G.o.d remains faithful to his Covenant.

The parable of the Good Samaritan reveals the kind of example which should be given by the Church, in regard to the Jewish question. The phenomenal history of the Jews, in which the prophecy has been fulfilled: 'they shall be a curse, and an astonishment, and a hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations'

(Jeremiah 29, 18), proclaims to the whole world that the G.o.d who gave the first commandment, by his dealings with Israel has manifested to the nations his sovereignty.

The Church must explain this phenomenon. She also must, by her faithful testimony, make certain that the authorities are not able to avoid the challenge by obliterating the phenomenon of the Jews.

She must therefore proclaim the message of G.o.d, who brought both Israel and the Church 'out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage' (Exodus 20, 2). Notwithstanding all the unfaithfulness of those He has elected among both Jews and Gentiles, He remains faithful to his Covenant.

The Church thus proclaims to the authorities that only by faith in Jesus Christ can they be delivered from their demonic political 'gospel', which they in their obsession wish to realize, being unrestrained by the law of G.o.d.

The Church, therefore, must proclaim the commandments concerning our neighbour to the authorities in connection with their att.i.tude to Israel, but also the first commandment concerning their att.i.tude towards G.o.d. For the rulers can only exercise their powers rightly by upholding the law rightly, in obedience to the first commandment. <109>

A Public Protest Demanded

The protest of the Church against the persecution of the Jews in Germany thus becomes a specially important example of the witness she is charged to give against all violations of the ten commandments by any power.

The Church must warn the State, in the name of G.o.d, not with political arguments, as has happened occasionally, that it must 'not oppress the stranger, the fatherless and the widow' (Jeremiah 7, 6). She must remind the State of its duty to maintain public justice in an orderly, legal system based on humane laws; of the commandment to execute punishment in righteousness; of its duty to protect the oppressed and to respect certain basic rights of its citizens, etc.

This witness of the Church must be made publicly, either through preaching or by means of a special p.r.o.nouncement of the Bishop in his function as Shepherd and Watchman. Only thus can the Church fulfil her duty towards all who, either in a legislative or in an executive capacity, partic.i.p.ate in this persecution.

Also the conscience of the stricken Jews and the Christian community, which is tempted to deny its faith, must be instructed.

So far the Church in Germany cannot be said to have made such a witness, for nothing that she has said in public has done justice to her responsibility to preach the truth in this respect. [256]